Secret Society of Teachers

Believe it or not, there's a secret society of teachers roaming around out there. And if you're lucky, you might be able to find one of these special teachers. They are the teachers that get apologies when those outside the profession learn whom they teach. People are surprised and in awe that they are nutty enough to perform their job day in and day out. They are called middle school teachers. They teach those young teenagers in grades six, seven or eight. I'm going to give you a few clues to help you spot one of these rare creatures.

1. Fun loving or Good sense of humor- If you spot a teacher that is down right funny or knows how to laugh, you may in fact be in the presence of a middle school teacher. If they laugh at juvenile jokes, it's a good bet you found one. Say duty, ball, dyke, lay, or dongle; if an adult smiles or chuckles, you probably found a middle school teacher.

2.  Energetic- Middle school teachers have lots of energy. They may come home dead to the world, but in class they are anything but dead. They have to be active because they have a million things to take care of in each class. And they'll do anything to keep the attention of their teenage students.

3.  Different- Members of this secret society aren't your kind, sweet elementary teachers. Nor are they your serious, subject-oriented high school teachers. Try to shake them up with a shocking story and they'll probably try to one up you. Some may even call them a little crazy. But when you can laugh and be discouraged all in the same day you're either slightly hormonal or a little different.

4.  Flexible- Some teachers can easily and quickly adapt to change. Those are middle school teachers. Maybe a lesson isn't going well, the internet is slow or there's an interruption in the class. These teachers handle it without batting an eye. That's a real skill.

5.  Patient- You might think elementary teachers have patience, but put them in a 7th grade classroom and watch what happens. All their tolerance goes out the window. These aren't sweet little babies. Middle school teachers must have an abundance of charity to handle middle school shenanigans.

6.  Squirrelly- If you spot a teacher who acts like a young teenager, you've probably crossed paths with a middle school teacher. These adults deal with hormonal kids all day, every day. Their goofiness is bound to rub off. These are the teachers you see talking and laughing during a teacher meeting. They can't help it.

7.  Sarcastic- Try to deal with middle schoolers and not become a little sarcastic. These teachers are probably the ones teaching sarcasm to youngsters. Middle school kids find sarcasm fascinating and like to try it out occasionally in the classroom. Their teachers can dish it right back. But it's all in good fun.

8.  Drinking- Middle school teachers love their coffee and possibly tea. But they are also known to belt down something stronger; not before or during school, though.  Have you ever been to a middle school conference? I'll tell you, it's one crazy adventure. And I'll leave it at that; otherwise I might get kicked out of the club.

Anything I've missed? Have a comment or idea about middle school teachers? Please comment below.